ABSTRACT
As the presence of smart objects increases in everyday life, computing grows out of the image of a desktop computer and becomes more open to new types of interaction and interfaces. Beyond this, smartphones, smartwatches, smart TVs, videogames and especially smart speakers offer voice interaction. This research presents how users perceive the relationship with these voice interfaces and personified virtual assistants. It also considers how their adoption is taking place, what are their opinions and expectations and what kinds of problems they encounter. A literature review and field research was carried out through the use of an online questionnaire and Focus Group. The findings illustrate that the humanlike personality presence has a critical role in the adoption of virtual assistants, as well as it has positive effects on user perception. However, the use of voice user interfaces still causes discomfort while in a public environment. The significant concerns users face are not technical problems or usability issues, but worries about the influences of the virtual assistants on social behavior and impacts on day-to-day living.
